Lock for harness jacks of knowles looms



Dec.-13, 1927.

W. H. WAKEFIELD LOCK PORHARNBSS JACKS OF KNOWLES LOOIS Filed 001;- 26,1925 Patented Dec. 13, 1927. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER H. WAKEFIELD, OF \VORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO CROMPTON& KNOWLES LOOM WORKS, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OFMASSACHUSETTS.

LOOK FOR HARNESS JACKS F KNOWLES LOOMS.

Application filed October 26, 1925. Serial No. 64,795.

'This invention relates to harness mecha nism for looms and moreparticularly of the well-known Knowles type and it is the general objectof the invention to provide means for positively locking the harnessjack so that the actuating elements therefor will not be accidentallydisturbed by the pressure of the warp on the harness frames.

In the well-known Knowles head there is usually provided a series ofvibrator levers on each of which is rotatably mounted a vibrator gearreceiving rotary motion from one of two oppositely rotating cylindergears. The so-called vibrator connectors extend between the vibratorgears and the harness levers or jacks and serve to control the positionof the jacks when the vibrator gears are rotated. In order to hold thejacks in their extreme positions the vibrator gears as heretofore madehave been given a-rotar motion somewhat more than half a turn, theexcess over 180 being required to move the pivotal connection betweenthe connector and the vibrator gear beyond the line joining the centerof the gear and the connection with the harness jack. So-called dropweights have been employed heretofore to assist the vibrator connectorsin moving to the locking position but they are spring pressed and notpositive in their action.

In order to provide for positively locking the jacks so that thevibrator gears need not receive so large an angular motion I contemplatethe use of a locking bar to enter notches formed in the harness jacks tohold the same against accidental displacement during the time that theshuttle is in flight. In this way it will be unnecessary to use theaforesaid drop weights and the vibrator gears can be made with asomewhat greater clearance than has been heretofore possible due to thefact that they need not receive as much motion as was formerlynecessary.

With this and other objects is view which will appear as the descriptionproceeds my invention resides in the combination and arrangement ofparts hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

g In the accompanying drawings wherein I have shown a convenientembodiment of my invention,

Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through a Knowles head havingmy invention applied thereto and showing the same about to start on aharness changing movement with the jacks unlocked,

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the head after theharness changing movement has been completed with the jacks locked,

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1 r

Fig. 1 shows a portion of Fig. 3 on an enlarged scale showing thenotches in the harness jacks Fig. 5 is an enlarged section in detailshowing the usual lock knife together with my improved locking bar andthe operating cams therefor, and

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional elevation similar to a part of Fig. 5 butshowing a modified form of actuating arm to move the looking barpositively in both directions.

Referring to the drawings it will be seen that I have provided a loomframe 10 to which is secured in any approved manner a head frame 11 inwhich are journaled for rotation upper and lower mutilated oppositelyrotating cylinder gears 12 and 13, respectively, driven in any approvedmanner by mechanism not shown. Outwardly extending arms 14 support aheel pin 15 which receives the outer ends of a series of vibrator levers16.

' Each of said levers 16 has mounted for rotation thereon a vibratorgear 17 which is attached as at 18 to a connector 19 extending inwardlyand having operative connection as at 20 with a harness jack 21. It isto be understood that the head is filled with a number of the units justdescribed and that all of the vibrator levers are controlled as to theirvertical position bya pat-tern chain 22 which receives a movement foreach pick of the loom.

Each vibrator gear is provided with a relatively narrow space 23 and arelatively wide space 24, the wide space affording clearance to permitrepeated rotation of a cylinder without a corresponding motion on thepart of the vibrator gear when the latter is adjacent the cylinder. Whenthe gear is to be rotated it is moved so that the narrow space will bepresented to one of the cylinders. As the latter continues to rotate theconnection 18 between the connector and the gear will be moved froni'oneside of the axis of the'gear to the other relation of the f ll A lockknife is mounted on a pair of arms26 secured to a shaft 27 having a camarm 28, (see Fig. 5) rigid therewith. The rear end of shaft 29 to whichthe lower cylinder 13 is secured has fastened thereto a cam 30 tocooperate with the arm 28. As said shaft- 29 rotates the lock knife 25is periodically moved into and out of operative contact with theadjacent end of the vibrator levers 16 to hold them against accidentalvertical movement.

In order to dispense with the drop. weights previously mentioned andalso to require less angular motion on the part of the vibrator gears Iprovide each jack 2i with an arcuate segment 40 the outer surface ofwhich is concentric with pin 41 about which the aclis move. ach of saidsegments 40 is provided with a pair of notches 42 and 43, respectively.V v

- A. shaft44 extends through and is rotatably supported by the head and.has a pair of arms'45 se'curedthereto which support a locking bar 46adapted to enter the notches 42 or 43. Each end of the shaft 44 hassecured thereto an arm 47 having a roll 48 rotatably. mounted thereonto'engage a cam 49, securedto shaft 29. Said cams 49 are provided withalow dwell portion 50 and a high dwell. portion .51, these dwells beingconnected. by cam faces which raise or lower roll 48 to givecorresponding movements to the locking bar 46.

As shown in Fig. 1. the cylinders 12 and 13 are about to move thevibrator gears and it is therefore necessary to have. the bar 46 inunlocked position so the jacks will be free to move. In' this positionit will be necessary for the usual-lock knife to hold the vibratorlevers to insure proper engagement of the cylinders and gears. In Fig. 2the parts are shown as they appear at the end of. a jack shiftingstroke, the usual lock knife being moved to unlocking position so thatthe pattern mechanism can give the vibrator levers a new setting. Atthis time the shuttle is in flight and the harnesses should therefore belocked and it will be seen in said Fig. 2

that rolls4i3 are onthe low part. of cams 49 so that spring 52interposed between arm 28 and one of the arms 4Tcau move bar 4o into thenotches and lock the jacks. The jacks will l/I'K-TCfOI'O be looked assoon as they reach their extreme position independently of the relationof the connection .18 with respect to the connection 20 and the. centerof the vibrator gear.

iByreferring to the drawings it. will be seen. that the notches-in thesegments 40 occupy three positions but there will always be a notchunderthe bar 46, the notches 42 being operatiyely placed with respect tothe bar when the corresponding jacks have been moved to the right andthe notches 43 being placed underthe locking bar when the correspondingjacks have been moved to the left. Because of slight variations in theadjustments of the looms found to prevail in different mills I have madethe cams 30 and 49 independent of each other so that slight relativeadjustments may be made.

By referring to Fig. 6 it will be seen that I have provided a substitutefor the cams 49 in the form of track cams having a groove 61 to receivethe rolls 48. 'With this form of cam the looking as well as theunlocking of the harness jacks is accomplished positively and the spring52 is unnecessary.

From the foregoing it. will be seen that I have-provided means forlocking the harness jacks independently of the, relation of connection18. with respect tothe line joining the connection 20 and the axis ofthe vibrator gear and that it is unnecessary to use the usual dropweights. It will further be seen that the jacks are formed withsegmental sections having a number of notches one of which will alwaysbe in operative position with respect to the locking bar.

Having thus described my invention 7 it will be apparent that changesandmodifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wishto be limited to the details disclosed herein out what I claim is:

1. In a harness mechanism for a loom having a pattern controlled lever,a rotatable gear mounted thereon, rotary actuators for the gear and aharness lever connector attached to the gear, a rotary cam movable withone 'of the actuators, a locking bar operatively connected'to the cam, aharness lever attached to the connector, a segment formed on the harnesslever, and means to move the bar into locking position with respecttothe segment as the cam rotates.

2. In a harness mechanism for a loom having a pattern surface, avibrator lever to be controlled by the pattern surface, a lock for saidlover, a harness lever, a lock for said harness lever, means connectingthe levers together, mechanism acting on the means to move the harnesslever when the vibrator lever changes position under influence of thepattern surface, and a device to operate both locks in timed relation tolock one of said lovers while the other is moving. I

3; V In a harness mechanism for a loom having a pattern surface, avibrator lever for the surface, a harness lever operatively connected tothe vibrator lever, and locking means for said levers effective to lockone of said levers at a time, whereby either lever is free toanove whiletheother lever is locked.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto at fixed my signature. 7

IVALTER H. WAKEFIELD.

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